1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal base of a power supply device for electric vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a terminal base of a power supply device for electric vehicle which is suitable for providing a simple connection structure for detachably supporting a battery pack, with battery cells accommodated therein, to a vehicle body.
2. Description of Background Art
Conventionally, in an electric vehicle, a battery pack having a plurality of battery cells assembled in a battery case has commonly been mounted to a central portion of a frame of the electric vehicle as a power supply device. For example, in an electric bicycle described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2008-62814, a battery device fitting part in a recessed shape is provided in the vicinity of a vertical frame constituting a body frame with a connection terminal (male-side terminal) being provided in the battery device fitting part. The battery device fitting part is a recess which is opened on the upper side. The battery device (battery pack) is mounted to the battery device fitting part from above. In a completely mounted state of the battery device, electrical connection terminal in the battery device (female-side terminal) and the male-side terminal in the battery device fitting part are coupled to each other.
In the electric bicycle described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2008-62814, the electrical connection terminal on the battery device fitting part side and the electrical connection terminal in the battery device to be connected to each other are fixed on the vehicle side and on the battery device side, respectively. When there is a positional discrepancy between both the electrical connection terminals, therefore, the positional discrepancy is absorbed by deformation (or deflection) of the electrical connection terminals. However, the absorption of the positional discrepancy by deformation of the electrical connection terminals is disadvantageous in that the mutual contact condition of the electrical connection terminals is poor. In addition, the service life of the electrical connection terminals may be shortened.
Further, in the case of mounting the battery device to the battery device fitting part by bringing the battery device closer to the battery device fitting part from an oblique upper direction, a corner of the electrical terminal on the battery device fitting part side may make contact with an edge of the opening provided as an electrical connection terminal window in the casing on the battery device side. Such a contact would hamper a smooth mounting operation.